Summary

These times are odd times. Steve’s forgotten what it meant to have a circadian cycle; he’s overtaken the sun around the globe more than once in less than a week. He sleeps when he’s tired, and eats when he’s hungry. There are no more movies he needs to watch, no more books he needs to read, no more small talk, no more silent apartments, nothing beyond the endless string of missions and how he can fit his immediate needs in there. It’s like being back in the European theater, this mixture of constant strain and exhilarating freedom.

Summary

Their rivalry begins like this: they’re teenagers, skating the same circuits, competing in the same competitions. What happens is that they compete against each other for the novice boy’s title in the North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Competition and they both somehow tie for first place. There are no ties in competition, but their scores are identical across the board.

Steve hates that Bucky took his win from him and Bucky hates that Steve thinks he won instead of tying, like the results said. The ensuing verbal scuffle had cemented what would come to be a slightly unhealthy long-term skating rivalry.

The intervening years don't help.

***

Perennial rivals since childhood, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes face off against each other to achieve their Olympic figure skating dreams. But when bad luck and bad falls get in their way, Steve realizes there might only be one way to make it to Wakanda after all.

It's reckless and it's definitely incredibly stupid, but to win Olympic gold, these two enemies will need to come together as a pair--on the ice and off.

Summary

Bucky’s standing there alone, smoking a cigarette when he sees that dancing monkey walk by.

Captain America’s show really was terrible; childish. The only good thing about it was the girls, and how great the guy’s ass looked in those blue tights.

But now he’s changed out of that ridiculous red white and blue suit and into his army greens. With his hands in his pockets, eyes trained straight down at his feet, he looks rather lonely, and indescribably sad.

So Bucky calls out, “Hey, Captain America.”

(AU: They didn't know each other before the war, Bucky doesn't get captured and meets Steve in Europe during the Captain America USO tour.)

Summary

He opens his eyes to Steve’s wide and surprised ones, looking down on him. His hold on Bucky’s wrists has gone slack, and as quickly as the pleasure had overtaken him, dread takes its place. He scrambles out of Steve’s hold and off the mat, mumbling I’m sorrys as he goes.